Method of generating heat by combustion of fuel.



. No. 664,304. Patented Dec. I8, 1900.

- w. B. WILKINSON. METHOD OF GENERATING HEAT BY COMBUSTION 0F FUEL.

' (Applieatiun filed June 20, 1900.)

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W. B. WILKINSON. METHOD OFGENERATING HEAT BY COMBUSTION UF FUEL.

(Application filed June 20, 1900.)

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILBUR B. \VILKINSON, OF NEW. YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF GENERATING HEAT BY COMBU STION OF FUEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,304, dated December18, 19

Application fi1ed June 20, 1900. Sam No. 20,947. (No model.)

cally. done away with, and more heat efli oiency obtained per pound offuel than has heretofore been obtained in any ordinary furnace.

My method consists in the supplying of sufficient air and steam tocooperate'with hydrocarbon gas in order to accomplish suitable andeconomical combustion,and,furthermore, in a new and original method ofdistributing and supplying the hydrocarbon gas among and to the escapingfuel elements.

I shall first refer to the drawings, describing in connection therewithone form of apparatus designed for carrying out my improved method andthen set forth my method more in detail.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a horizontal-boilerfurnace, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a furnace,showing the outside connections. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of thefurnace along the line 0000 of Fig. 1, the grate-bars being removed.Fig. 4: is a sectional view of the airheating chamber, and Fig. 5 isasectional view of the air-supply pipe.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 is an ordinary horizontal tubular boiler having a steam-dome 2.

3 is a smoke-outlet.

4 is the furnace-wall.

5 is the combustion-chamber of the furnace.

6 6 are grate-bars on which the hard fuel to be consumed is supported.

7 is an ash-pit.

8 is the bridge-wall, having the hydrocarbon-generator 9 and perforatedhydrocarbongas-escape pipes 10 embedded in it at or near the top. I

11' is an air-heating chamber containing steam-pipe 12.

13 is an air-supply pipe on the walls of the ash-pit.

14: is an oil-tank connecting to injector 15 by pipe 16, havingneedle-valve 17 and sightfeed 18.

19 is a compressed-air pump for forcing the oil from tank 14 throughpipe 16 and also for supplying compressed air to injector 15 throughpipe 20, controlled by valve 21. Pipe 22 conducts the steam fromsteam-dome 2 to injector 15 and is controlled by valve 23. Tank 14 andpipes 20 and 22 each have suitable indicators for showing pressure; Pipe24 conducts steam from steam-dome 2 to steam-pipe 12in air-heatingchamber 11. Airheating chamber 11 is embedded in the front wall of thefurnace and is open at each end, so as to communicate with the outsideair.

Should it be impossible for air heating chamber 11 to extend from sideto side of the furnace, as shown in Fig. 3, the air-inlets being at theends of the chamber, then the ends of the chamber may be turned at rightangles and the air-inlet ports be on the front of the furnace.

The airheating'chamber 11 is provided with nipples a a a at, extendingthrough the furnace-wall to combustion-chamber 5, while steam-pipe 12 isalso supplied with nipples b b b b, extendinga short distance into thenipples a. The air-supply pipe 13, as shown at 25, is also open to theoutside air at each end, appropriate holes being drilled through thefront wall of the furnace, if necessary. Hydrocarbon-gasescapepipes 10are also provided with nipples c c c 0, extending through the edge ofthe bridge-wall to the combustionchamber.

I shall now describe the operation of the apparatus in carrying out myimproved method. The fuel on the grate-bars 6 6 is ignited, and after ithas been burning long enough to generate steam in the boiler the valves23 and 17 are opened and the steam and oil enter the injector 15, whencethey pass to hydrocarbon generator 9. I have placed thehydrocarbon-generator in the top of the bridge-wall, where it is'exposedto the gases escaping from the combustion-chamber, sufiicient heat beingthus supplied to superheat and volatilize its contents. The vola tilizedhydrocarbon gas with the heated air, if any air has been admittedthrough pipe and valve 21, and superheated steam, then passes intogas-escape pipes 10, placedin the front slope of the bridge wall, whencethey escape into the combustionchamber through the nipplesorperforarionscccc. The hydrocarbon gas, with the accompanying air 'andsteam, is thus conducted to a point where its accompanying air andsteam,'is not suflicient to produce perfect combustion.

An excess of oxygen must be provided for the escaping gases, whichconsist for the most part of carbonic oxid. To this end I have placed anair-heating chamber 11 in the front wall of the furnace under theboiler. The air passing into the chamber from either end is heated to avery high temperature by the'fire in the furnace and escapes throughnipples a a a a into the combustion-chamber, uniting with the carbonicoxid andsupplyingsuflicient excess to cause almost perfect combustion inconnection with the hydrocarbon gas. A steam pipe may be passed throughthe airheating chamber, the pipe having a number of escape jets ornipples b b b b, permitting the steam to be injected into thecombustionchamber, thus supplying an additional quantity of oxygen andhydrogen, as well as serving to heat the air in the air-heating chamber.

To increase the air-supply from beneath the grate, I have placed aperforated air-supply pipe 13 on the wall of the ash-pit close up to thegrate-bars 6 6. This air-supply pipe, comm unicatin g directly with theouter air, is heated by the fire, and the hot air escaping from theperforations passes upward through the gratebars into the fire,producing a partial combustion and decomposition of the fuel. Theair-supply pipe serves to provide a steady supply of air from beneaththe grate, for if the ash-pit door is closed the air still passesthrough the pipe into the fire. The hydrocarbon gas might also bepermitted to escape beneath the grate as well as into thecombustion-chamber from the front of the bridgewall, in either case theexcess of oxygen supplied by the air-heating chamber in the furnace-wallresulting in more perfect combustion. I prefer, however, to permit thegas to escapefrom the front slope of the bridgewall only.

I do not restrict myself to the operation of my method in connectionwith horizontal tubular boilers only, as it can be applied as well toother kinds of boilers.

In this application I do not claim the apparatus herein described andshown, as I have reserved the same for the subject of anotherapplication. I

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,

1. The method of producing combustion of solid fuel consisting first, insupplying air thereto from below the fuel to assist in producing apartial combustion and decomposition of the fuel; second, in supplyingair and steam from above the fuel to the gaseous fuel elements arisingtherefrom, and third, in supplying vapors of a hydrocarbon to theescaping gases.

2. The method of producing combustion of solid fuel consisting first, insupplying heated air thereto from below the fuel to assist in producinga partial combustion and decomposition of the fuel; second, in supplyingair and steam from above the fuel to the gaseous fuel elements arisingtherefrom, and third, in supplying vapors of a hydrocarbon to theescaping gases.

3. The method of producing combustion of solid fuel consisting first,'insupplying heated air thereto from below the fuel to assist in producinga partial combustion and decomposition of the fuel; second, in supplyingheated air and steam from above the fuel to the gaseous fuel elementsarising therefrom,and third, in supplying vapors of a hydrocarbon to theescaping gases.

4. The method of producing combustion of solid fuel consisting first, insupplying air thereto from below the fuel to assist in producing apartial combustion and decomposition of the fuel; second, in supplyingair and steam from above the fuel to the gaseous fuel elements arisingtherefrom, and third in introducing the vapors of a hydrocarbon to theescaping gases in a direction across the path of said gases.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILBUR B. WILKINSON. Witnesses:

SEABURY C. MASTIOK, EDWARD T. PHILLIPS.

